Wanna know the real reason for Sydney lockout laws? Follow the money

Channel Seven has obtained official crime statistics that show that violence has surged by 42% in the areas of Sydney controlled by the draconian lock-out laws.

Previous reports touted by the Government indicated a fall in assaults since the 2014 laws were introduced, but this simply isn’t the case.

Alcohol-related non-domestic incidents rose 42% in the Oxford Street precinct from September 2016 to September 2017, to 98 incidents. More than half of these took place on licenced premises. During this same period there were 103 incidents in Kings Cross.

The Office of Liquor and Gaming have tried to put a positive spin on this, claiming only one venue had more than seven attacks in the twelve month period — which still seems an awful lot, considering the ghost town that the area now is — actually stating: “This represents an upward trend, not extreme violence.”

So, it’s not extreme violence, just… an upward trend in violence. That’s a relief.

Can we now admit this whole shambles has been a failure?

As Tyson Koh from Keep Sydney Open — who have been fighting the good fight since the laws were introduced — said of these reports: “The sad thing is that assaults were already steadily declining in the years prior to the lockouts being introduced in 2014.

“If the government had done nothing there would have been a further decrease in assaults without the deserted streets.

“Now we have apartment blocks being built where venues once stood.”

This is the crux of this issue: the laws were never about curbing violence at all. That’s why — despite all the reports of increased violence — this has been a huge success for the Government.

The spate of violent incidents in the area — again, a trend that was decreasing, and, at its peak, not particularly high considering the congestion seen in these areas on any given night during the pre-lock-out era — were used as a convenient scapegoat so that those in government could facilitate the needs of the developers they were in bed with, and from whom they rely upon for party funding.

The Government is very corrupt; this should come as no surprise. During the ’60s and ’70s, many police and governmental officials were controlled by the interests of the underworld: drug dealers, brothel operators, strip joints, and the like – but real estate  has become a lot more lucrative and therefore these developers are now controlling things in the Cross and on Oxford Street. And in parliament.

If you want to know who’s in charge, follow the money.

Killing the nightlife from this area kills local trade, and those long-term lease holders that were blocking development are forced out of business; venues, cafes, and takeaways that rely upon a thriving nighttime economy quickly shut down, and high-rise buildings in multi-million dollar locations are build, sold, and begin to decimate the life of the area.

If you want to know the true intentions of any law passed, simply follow the money.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.